The last sunset we watched together
by palepinkimpulses
Summary: Hinata always smiled, no matter what. But it was never genuine. Kageyama was the arrogant "king", and seemingly possessed the ability to strike down anyone who got in his way, sneering and scowling. But on the inside, he was broken. One day, Hinata met Kageyama. And Kageyama met Hinata. They'd never forget the last sunset they watched together.


Edit: For some reason the first upload was totally messed up (I was notified by user Veiled Curiosity :D) so I re-uploaded it. Enjoy!

* * *

Hinata always smiled, no matter what.

But it was never genuine.

His smile hid a deep, twisting pain within him. Self-hatred and loathing. The feeling of being alone, standing by himself, under the weight of the sky, until all the pressures and troubles of the world crushed him into the earth, erasing his existence. Hinata sometimes wished he could actually disappear into a cloudy wisp, swept away by the winds and dissipating, so he wouldn't have to live, or feel, or hurt.

He didn't know why his soul felt so gray, so empty.

So he tucked away this aching feeling, and always smiled.

* * *

Kageyama was the arrogant "king", and seemingly possessed the ability to strike down anyone who got in his way, sneering and scowling.

But on the inside, he was broken.

Behind his stone-cold mask was an isolated, shattered being. Whispers of resentment of others swirled around him like a hurricane, spinning him around until he fell down, unable to find strength in his quivering legs to stand back up. A wall of outstretched and menacing hands threatening to crush him filled his nightmares, and Kageyama desperately wished his ice-cold self would melt into a small pool of dew, and evaporate, invisible to everyone else.

He didn't know why he always felt so threatened by his loneliness.

So he buried this fear deep in his heart, and accepted solitude as the trait of a king.

* * *

But one day, Hinata met Kageyama.

And Kageyama met Hinata.

Hinata noticed his eyes, glassy and translucent. His irises were deep blue, almost black, and veiled incredible sadness. Hinata knew that look. He saw it in his own coffee brown eyes, in his reflection in the mirror every day.

Kageyama took note of Hinata's hands, and his mouth. His hands always had a slight tremor. The corners of his mouth, turned upwards into a trembling smile. Kageyama could feel his own hands quivering, and he turned the corners of his mouth down into a scowl instead. He knew Hinata's smile masked pain.

They both thought. "_He's just like me?"_

* * *

They'd sit together, in the tranquility of the park, from afternoon to the beginning of sunset, with only occasional birdsongs and squirrels scampering about, the wind rustling the branches and leaves.

They wouldn't say much to each other, but Hinata's quavering smile would fade, and a melancholy expression would settle on his face. Kageyama would stop frowning, and close his eyes resignedly, relaxing slightly in the soft breeze. They could finally reveal themselves, in these intimate and precious moments of peace.

Neither of them knew exactly when or how, but they fell in love.

Just one day, Kageyama suddenly had the urge to tenderly stroke Hinata's cheek as they leaned back against the firm bark of the oak tree. His cheek seemed so soft, and so warm… Hinata flinched a little at being touched, but he gave a nearly imperceptible nod, leaning his face onto Kageyama's hand, and even offered… was it a tiny smile?

This didn't change much, except Hinata would sometimes gently clasp Kageyama's long fingers in his smaller hand. He'd maybe rest his head on Kageyama's shoulder. Kageyama would carefully wrap an arm around Hinata's shoulders, gingerly, as if he was a delicate porcelain doll, and would shatter if he hugged him too close.

The only thing stopping them from wholeheartedly reaching out to each other, dissolving into each other's embrace, was the small doubt they harbored secretly: _"Will this last forever?"_

They, however, started to change, and this doubt started to fade. Kageyama's dread and fear of being alone, seemed to shrink bit by bit, each time he held Hinata to him and could feel his beating heart. Hinata felt as if the tremendous burden weighing down on his shoulders was being lessened every time he gazed into Kageyama's eyes.

The two started talking more to each other. About anything, and everything. _What books do you like? Do you play any games or read comics? What about sports? Did you notice how blue the sky was?_ But eventually, they began to talk about more private thoughts and matters as they opened up to each other.

Kageyama gripped Hinata's hand firmly as his voice wavered, explaining the overwhelming guilt he felt for deceiving his parents and sister with fake grins and carefree laughter. Kageyama rubbed his back comfortingly as tears dripped down his cheek, as he whimpered about how selfish he felt for feeling the way he did, even in such a loving family.

Hinata stroked his hand gently as Kageyama shakily mumbled about his family life, how he was an only child and his parents always fought and were never around. After he had begun narrating his spiral into apathy and fear of being alone, he abruptly stopped and turned his head to hide the few trickles of tears traveling down his cheek. Hinata reached up and around, and gently brushed away the tears with his soft touch. "You don't have to hide from me. Okay?" Hinata said with a watery smile. Kageyama sniffled slightly and tried to rub the redness from his eyes.

"…Yeah."

They loved each other, more than either of them actually knew.

* * *

One day, it had reached dusk. Kageyama stood up from the bed of grass, noticing the shades of red and purple starting to darken the sky.

A smaller hand grabbed his and tugged on it gently. Kageyama looked down, to see Hinata with a desperate, unreadable expression on his face, begging him to stay. He sat back down, sensing something was off.

"Kageyama. Please watch the sunset with me?" Hinata asked softly while clutching Kageyama's hand in his.

"Sure." Kageyama settled back onto the grass. A few fireflies flickered across the trees and bushes. Hinata laid his head on Kageyama's shoulder. Kageyama felt Hinata's hair tickle his neck, and breathed in his warm, familiar scent of citrus.

Together, they watched the sunset. As the sky turned brilliant shades of gold, magenta, and blue-violet. As the golden crown of the sun quietly slid down onto the treetops. As they held hands. As they held each other close.

At last, the sun had almost completely disappeared below the horizon, the sky mostly a dark blue. A few tiny streaks of gold still lit up the sky. The air was slightly chilly. Kageyama stood up once again, and stretched. "It's already dark, we should get going—Hinata! Are you okay?" He turned around to find Hinata curled up in a ball, hugging his knees tightly to his chest, and sniffling. Kageyama bent down, and took both of Hinata's hands into his. He knew… something was wrong.

"Hinata…"

"Mmfhmh." replied a muffled voice.

"What's wrong?" Kageyama was worried.

"…"

"You don't have to hide from me, okay?" Kageyama said softly, echoing Hinata's words. At this, Hinata's shoulders rose up and down shakily as he tried to calm his breaths, and stood up, facing Kageyama, who also stood up. Their hands were still linked.

"I… I'm moving." Hinata said with a trembling voice.

"Moving? To where?" Kageyama's heart jumped into his throat, and he tightened his grip to Hinata's hands like it was his lifeline. _No, no, no…_

"America." Hinata's whisper was barely audible.

"Am-merica?" Kageyama's voice cracked, ending in a squeak. "Wh-when? Wh-why?"

"My.. father's job." Hinata struggled to get the words out as his eyes watered. "And the flight is at midnight."

_Midnight. Midnight. Midnight. _It echoed in Kageyama's head, as he lost all sense of what was going on around him. _Midnight._

"M-midnight." Kageyama felt his own lips say distantly. "Why… why didn't you tell me?"

"I could never bring… myself to say it. I-it would hurt you. I-i didn't want to ruin… the last precious moments we'd spend together." He choked out. Hinata let go of Kageyama's hand, and hugged him close. He leaned his head onto his chest and clung to him tightly as tears ran down his face.

This brought Kageyama back to earth, which was just a hellish reality. He cried, without feeling. He hugged Hinata desperately, as if he could never leave if he held him close enough, if he wished hard enough.

"I love you. I love you." Kageyama repeated through his sobs.

"I love you, too. Kageyama Tobio." Hinata cried harder, and Kageyama could feel his tears wetting his shirt.

They stayed intertwined for what seemed like forever. Both of their cries had slowly diminished to shaky breaths, and an air of resigned melancholy blanketed them.

Hinata was first to step back from their embrace, and took Kageyama's hand.

_No._

He gently kissed every single one of his fingers. And looked up, with a smile. But it wasn't his real smile. It was his old, fake smile, the one Kageyama had tried so hard to get rid of.

_No._

"I love you, Kageyama. We'll see each other again. I can feel it, in my heart." Hinata took one last gaze at him, drinking in every detail, so he could sear the memory, the look, the feel, the smell of Kageyama, into his mind, permanently.

_No._

"…Good bye. I will… never forget you." Hinata turned around, and started walking away, down the dirt path. Farther, and farther away…

Kageyama couldn't move. He was paralyzed with hopelessness. He could only watch, helplessly, as Hinata grew smaller and smaller into the distance.

As the final streaks of gold disappeared from the pitch-black sky, Hinata's radiance left Kageyama, for good.

_This dreamlike reality, was it just an illusion?_ His entire world was being shattered, torn down, by cruel destiny. The light that had illuminated his life had vanished.

Before, he had always felt threatened by loneliness. But now, it was grabbing him by the throat, strangling him. He couldn't breathe.

Kageyama felt dead inside. He struggled to remember Hinata's real smile, his small hands, his comfortable warmth, his tiny fingers, his cute fluffy hair…What had made him feel alive, and worth living again.

_And never forget. _Kageyama squeezed his eyes shut, tears leaking out of the corners of his eyes, desperately trying to gather and lock away their most important keepsake and memory, one he will never, ever forget

_The last sunset we watched together._


End file.
